Athletic shoe spike anchor plate

ABSTRACT

A spike anchor plate made of a flat thin sheet of metal bored with a plurality of holes corresponding substantially in number and position with spike receptacles to be mounted on said sheet. A pair of tabs is cut from said sheet at the sides of each of said holes and bent downwardly to extend solely from the lower face of said sheet. Spike receptacles to be mounted in the sheet are provided with a base plate having a pair of holes each slightly wider than the width of said tabs. These receptacles are mounted on the bottom of the sheet by having the tab project through such holes and being bent over the lower face of such base plate to retain the receptacle on such sheet with a substantial degree of freedom of motion with respect to the sheet. This freedom of motion permits the receptacles to move into accurate seating engagement with corresponding portions of a sole plate mold substantially independently of the accuracy of their positions on the sheet. Once in place on the mold, a shoe bottom of a moldable elastomer is molded around the spike anchor assembly. Spikes may be inserted into the receptacle either before or after molding.

ijnited States Patent [191 Granger ATHLETIC SHOE SPIKE ANCHOR PLATE [75] Inventor: Edward H. Granger, South Yarmouth, Mass.

Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Attorney-Elmer J. Gorn 51 May 29,1973

57 ABSTRACT A spike anchor plate made of a flat thin sheet of metal bored with a plurality of holes corresponding substantially in number and position with spike receptacles to be mounted on said sheet. A pair of tabs is cut from said sheet at the sides of each of said holes and bent downwardly to extend solely from the lower face of said sheet. Spike receptacles to be mounted in the sheet are provided with a base plate having a pair of holes each slightly wider than the width of said tabs. These receptacles are mounted on the bottom of the sheet by having the tab project through such holes and being bent over the lower face of such base plate to retain the receptacle on such sheet with a substantial degree of freedom of motion with respect to the sheet. This freedom of motion permits the receptacles to move into accurate seating engagement with corresponding portions of asole plate mold substantially independently of the accuracy of their positions on the sheet. Once in place on the mold, a shoe bottom of a moldable elastomer is molded around the spike anchor assembly. Spikes may be inserted into the receptacle either before or after molding.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED AY 2 9 I973 sum 1 or 2 ATHLETIC SHOE SPIKE ANCHOR PLATE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention A metal anchor plate supporting receptacles for golf shoe spikes.

2. Description of the Prior Art A common method of manufacturing athletic shoes, such as golf shoes is to form the outsole and heel of the shoe by injecting a moldable elastomer such as a highly plasticized polyvinal chloride (P.V.C.) into an appropriate mold. In order to support the usual golf shoe spikes, a thin metal plate carrying receptacles into which the spikes may be screwed or otherwise assembled is placed in the mold prior to the injection of the P.V.C. and is thus permanently molded into the shoe bottom.

Such prior art metal plates have presented several problems. The structure whereby the spike receptacles have been mounted on the plate is such that portions of the receptacles or portions of the plate holding the receptacle or both project above the top surface of the plate. These projections interfere with the smoothness of the inner sole surface upon which the foot of the wearer rests and makes the shoe less comfortable than is desirable. Also the locations of the receptacles or spikes on the plate must be accurately aligned with corresponding holes in the mold which is often difficult to achieve in practice. Misalignment usually results in interference with the flow of the P.V.C. into its desired configuration and in defective shoes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention substantially eliminates the above defects and provides other advantages by making a series of perforations in the anchor plate with a pair of tabs cut from the plate and bent down at the sides of each such perforation. These tabs fit loosely into corresponding holes in the base of each spike receptacle and are bent over such base to retain each spike loosely in place on the anchor plate. As a result, the spike receptacles are free to move into exact alignment with the corresponding holes in the mold thus enabling the receptacles to rest snuggly in such holes and to adjust their angular orientation at substantially right angles to the mold surface. This insures accurate molding and proper angular relationship of the spikes to the resulting shoe bottom. Also the top surface of the anchor plate is left smooth, making for a maximum of comfort for the wearer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the novel anchor plate, showing an anchor plate hole with no spike receptacle in place, one spike receptacle in place with no inserted spike, and with spikes in each of the other receptacles; FIG. 2 is a top view of the anchor plate shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through one of the receptacles and a portion of the anchor plate during the assembly of said receptacle on the plate;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 showing the receptacle held in place and with a golf spike inserted into said receptacle;

FIG. 5 is a partial vertical section taken approximately along line 5-5 of FIG. 1 with the anchor plate without an inserted spike, in place on a modified sole plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the several Figs. of the drawings, an anchor plate 1 is formed of a relatively thin, moderately flexible sheet of metal. The anchor plate is drilled with a series of holes 2 at locations where it is desired to support golf spikes. A pair of tabs 3 is cut out of the plate 1 at the sides of each hole 2. Initially, such tabs are left projecting at substantially right angles from the bottom of plate 1 as shown in FIG. 3. A spike receptacle 4 is assembled at each hole 2. Each spike receptacle 4 is formed with a flat base plate 5 and a socket 6. Each socket 6 may be internally threaded to receive the threaded stud 7 of a spike 8, or such spike may be press-fitted into socket 6 or otherwise assembled in re ceptacle 4.

Each base plate 5 is provided with a pair of holes 9 which are appreciably larger than the width of each tab 3 so that the base plate 5 may be slipped over a corre-f sponding pair of tabs 3 (see FIG. 3) with such tabs fitting loosely into the holes 9. Thereupon the tabs 3 are I bent over the edges of the holes 9 to retain the receptacle 4 in place on the plate 1. The degree of bending of tabs 3 depends on the desired degree of motion which is to be given to receptacle 4. Preferably, such bending is small enough to permit substantial freedom of motion of receptacle 4 in all directions along the surface of plate 1 as well as to permit a substantial degree of freedom to tilt in any directions with respect to such plate. Pate 5 may be provided with one or more additional holes 10 (see FIG. 3) so as to accommodate one or more additional tabs around hole 2, should additional support of receptacle 4 be desired.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, when it is desired to mold a shoe bottom, the assembly of anchor plate 1 and receptacle 4, with or without spikes 8, is inserted on the upper face of a sole plate mold 11 which, in the case of preassembled spikes 8, is provided with conical recesses 12, communicating with holes 13. Flanges 14 formed on spikes 8 are adapted to rest snuggly in recesses l2 and the spikes 8 are adapted to fit into the holes 13. Due to freedom of movement of the receptacle 4 with respect to the anchor plate 1, the flanges l4 and spike 8 fit snuggly with the recesses 12 and hole 13, respectively independently of the flexibility of the plate 1 or the exact positions of the receptacles 4 on said plate.

Side molds 15 are brought into place and a shoe upper 16 mounted on a shoe last 17 is pressed into position against the anchor plate 1 and side molds 15. It will be noted that the anchor plate 1 is now free to flex into conformity with the shape of the insole portions 18 of shoe upper 16 without disturbing the positions of the receptacles 4, flanges 14 and spikes 8 on the sole plate mold l1. Thereupon P.V.C. is injected into the mold cavity in accordance with the well known process of molding shoe bottoms of this material.

The absence of any projections on the upper surface of anchor plate 1 and the freedom of motion of the receptacle 4 with respect to such plate results in greatly increased comfort for the wearer and in a substantial decrease in defects due to improper flow of P.V.C. during the molding process.

While the embodiment described above has the spikes 8 assembled in the receptacles 4 prior to molding, in other embodiments of the invention the receptacles may be molded into the shoe bottom without the spikes. In such case, as shown in FIG. 7, a modified sole plate mold 19 is provided with a stud 20 on which the lower rim 21 of the receptacle 4 may seat. In this embodiment the upper end of socket 6 is closed by a wall 22 to prevent P.V.C. from entering the socket during molding. This arrangement leaves the central bore of receptacle 4 open to receive spikes 8 after the molding is complete. Other modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may also be made.

What is claimed ls:

l. A spike anchor assembly of the type having spike receptacles adapted to be aligned in predetermined locations on a sole plate mold for being molded into an athletic shoe bottom, said assembly comprising:

a. a flat, slightly flexible anchor plate;

b. said plate having a substantially flat upper surface;

0. a plurality of spike receptacle retention members projecting solely from the lower surface of said plate;

d. a plurality of spike receptacles, each of which is loosely engaged and retained on said plate by one or more of said retention members;

e. whereby each of said receptacles is provided with a sufficient freedom of movement relative to said plate to move accurately into said alignment independently of the accuracy of its spacing on said plate.

2. A spike anchor assembly as in claim 1 in which:

a. said anchor plate is comprised of a flat, relatively thin metal plate with a plurality of holes bored therein;

b. each of said retention members comprises a tab cut from said plate at the edge of one of said holes and bent downwardly to project from the lower surface of said plate;

c. each of said receptacle being provided with a base portion having at least one opening into which at least one of said tabs projects into retentive engagement with said base portion.

3. A spike anchor assembly as in claim 2 in which each of said openings is wider than the tab received therein and in which said tab extends through said base portion and is bent over to retain the associated receptacle in place on said plate.

4. A spike anchor assembly as in claim 1 having a spike secured in place in each of said receptacles. 

1. A spike anchor assembly of the type having spike receptacles adapted to be aligned in predetermined locations on a sole plate mold for being molded into an athletic shoe bottom, said assembly comprising: a. a flat, slightly flexible anchor plate; b. said plate having a substantially flat upper surface; c. a plurality of spike receptacle retention members projecting solely from the lower surface of said plate; d. a plurality of spike receptacles, each of which is loosely engaged and retained on said plate by one or more of said retention members; e. whereby each of said receptacles is provided with a sufficient freedom of movement relative to said plate to move accurately into said alignment independently of the accuracy of its spacing on said plate.
 2. A spike anchor assembly as in claim 1 in which: a. said anchor plate is comprised of a flat, relatively thin metal plate with a plurality of holes bored therein; b. each of said retention members comprises a tab cut from said plate at the edge of one of said holes and bent downwardly to project from the lower surface of said plate; c. each of said receptacle being provided with a base portion having at least one opening into which at least one of said tabs projects into retentive engagement with said base portion.
 3. A spike anchor assembly as in claim 2 in which each of said openings is wider than the tab received therein and in which said tab extends through said base portion and is bent over to retain the associated receptacle in place on said plate.
 4. A spike anchor assembly as in claim 1 having a spike secured in place in each of said receptacles. 